


Father's Day

by beebomademedoit



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fathers Day, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:02:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24828751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beebomademedoit/pseuds/beebomademedoit
Summary: It's Waverly's first Father's Day post Julian's death and an unexpected surprise for Wynonna and Doc makes her extra emotional. Nicole sets out to find and comfort her.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 2
Kudos: 93





	Father's Day

The moment Waverly walked into the police station, Nicole knew something was off. Despite all her best efforts, Waverly could never manage to hide her emotions from Nicole. It was in the way her shoulders dropped. The subtle frown that draped across her face. Even her steps were different - heavier, slower, far less peppy than Waves’ usual jaunt. 

“Hey, baby,” Nicole pecked Waverly on the temple as she neared her desk. Waverly smirked, but stayed quiet, looking around the office. She could hear Wynonna across the hall, giggling huskily like the way she did when Doc was around. Someone, definitely drunk, locked up in the back was banging against the metal bars, humming a familiar tune as an officer urged them to be quiet. 

“I don’t know how you put up with that.” Waverly sighed, half-sitting on the edge of Nicole’s desk. Despite the causal, conversational remark, Waverly’s mind was clearly miles away. The pace of her blinking slowed in the way that Nicole knew Waverly was deep in thought - the kind of thoughts that scared Nicole. This was the same distant look she’d grown familiar with when Willa returned and Waverly felt so small, like she was being replaced. The look that lingered following Jolene, in the quiet moments before bed or in the morning when Waverly thought Nicole was still sleeping. When her mind would take over and she’d let her happy guard down, let those awful voices back in. 

“Eh, he’s not so bad.” Nicole forced her voice to remain chipper for Waverly’s sake. But when Waverly didn’t acknowledge Nicole’s response, she rubbed her hand up and down Waverly’s thigh reassuringly, a small gesture to ground Waverly back into the present. She’d begun doing it early in the relationship when she noticed how her touch always seemed to relax Waverly, even when her girlfriend didn’t realize how tense she was. 

“Sorry,” Waverly shook her head, beginning to pull herself out of the haze. “I-”

But before she can finish, a loud crash sounds from the BBD office. They turn to see Doc stumble out of the room, a photo in hand, and Wynonna, tear soaked face, following behind. Doc stammers, shocked and rendered speechless.

“Everything okay?” Nicole stands. Doc slams the photo on the desk, finger shaking as he points at the image. 

“It’s her. Alice. My daughter.” He kisses the picture. 

“How?” Waverly asks, timid.

“I don’t know. It came anonymously. A father’s day gift.” Wynonna smiled, so much relief in her eyes as she looked down at the smiling baby in the photograph, realizing that all the pain and sacrifice she had endured was paying off. Alice was safe, and happy, and healthy. 

“That’s incredible. She’s beautiful.” Nicole cheered.

“Yeah…” Waverly smiles softly, eyeing Doc up and down before grabbing her purse and rushing for the door.

“Baby girl, where ya going?” Wynonna reaches for Waverly’s arm, but she dodges the touch. 

“Just, uh, to pee. To the bathroom.” Waverly stutters. They all watch her go, concerned. They hear her footsteps quicken and the front doors of the building slam shut. Wynonna spins toward Nicole.

“What the hell, Haught-shot?”

“Don’t look at me. She’s hardly said a word all day. She was about to talk before you interrupted.” Nicole rebuttals. They both lean across the desk from opposite ends, the photo of Alice in the middle of them all. 

“How’s it feel? Your first Father’s day, Doc?” Nicole asks. Then it dawns on her like a ton of bricks. “Oh god.” She whispers, eyes darting to Wynonna as she has the same realization. 

“It’s Father’s day.” Nicole states.

“Yeah.” Wynonna groans. “We’re idiots.” 

“The very most.” Doc lowers his hat to his chest.

* * *

“I can’t find her anywhere.” Nicole groans into the phone as she slips back into her car. 

“She’s not at the Homestead or Shorty’s.” Wynonna sighs breathlessly. 

“You don’t think she would go to the Greenhouse, do you?” Nicole peels into the road.

“God, that place gives me the creeps. Waverly does love a good full-circle moment so...Worth a shot.” Wynonna hangs up. Nicole speeds through town, scanning the sidewalks as she drives. At a stop light, she dials Waverly’s phone, but it goes to voicemail. 

She peels into the parking lot of the greenhouse so fast she leaves skid marks in the dirt. She brushes away muck on the glass window of the door to look through. Her heart stops, she sighs at the sight of Waverly inside. 

The plants are overgrown and the greenhouse’s dim lighting casts an even more bleak feeling on this image. Waverly sits on her knees below Julian’s broken statue, that same haunted stare on her face. Nicole creeps into the room, cautious not to startle Waverly. 

“Waves?” Nicole asks tentatively. Waverly looks over, dried tears on her cheek. 

“Hey.” She turns away, wiping her face, standing quickly, trying to act natural. “What are you doing here?” She turns back around. Nicole raises her eyebrows.

“What am I doing here? What are  _ you _ doing here?” She says softly, a bit teasingly, like how could Waverly ever actually think she could run off and not be missed. Nicole steps forward, linking one hand into Waverly’s and letting the other trace the edge of Waverly’s hairline, her fingertips grazing gently down to her cheek. 

“You okay?” She whispers. Waverly shrugs, breath shaky.

“Just...never liked Father’s day much.”

“Yeah…Me neither.” Nicole rubs Waverly’s back. 

“Gosh, I wasn’t even thinking about you. How are you?”

“I’m fine, really. My father hasn’t been in my life for a long time, so,” Nicole shrugs. “I’m more worried about you, babe. You’ve been distant all day. I know this isn’t easy, but you can always talk to me.”

“I know,” Waverly squeezes her girlfriend’s hand. “I was about to and then…” She turns around, avoiding eye contact like the plague. “I’m happy Doc gets to see Alice, but...I can’t help thinking about how she’s out there somewhere without her father. And I know, god, I know it’s for the best, but someday she’s gonna want to know where she came from and what? She gets brought into all this?” Waverly’s spiraling and Nicole can tell. She leads them to a dusty bench and guides Waverly into her lap while she continues rattling. 

“Or she never learns and she’s just out there forever, living happily ever, but never knowing what it means to be an Earp. Never knowing this awful town or Wynonna or --” Wavelry’s voice hitches. 

“It’s not fair, I know…” Nicole says tenderly. They sit in silence for a little while. Nicole can feel the faint buzz of her phone in her pocket. Probably Wynonna checking up on her, but she ignores the urge to pull it out and respond. The most important thing right now is comforting Waverly, so she holds her close on her lap and rubs her back soothingly. Waverly leans back, rests her head in the crook of Nicole’s neck. 

“I wish I’d known him better,” Waverly breaks the silence, looks over at the broken statue. "Everything was finally falling into place, y'know? I was finally about to learn about my heritage, and then..." She sighs, the memory still so difficult to think about. Nicole kisses Waverly behind the ear.

"I'm sorry, baby. I wish you could have known him better too, I really do. I'm sorry if I took that chance away from you..."

“Nicole!" Waverly spins to face her, suddenly so determined, "You have no reason to feel guilty. He gave me the greatest gift, so...I guess it’s okay our time was short-lived.”

“Gift?” Nicole’s eyebrows furrow, her head tilts to the side. 

“You, cutie.” Waverly leans in, hand on Nicole’s cheek. “He saved you, and for that I will always be thankful.”

She leans into Nicole’s sweet, soft lips and kisses. Nicole tightens her grip on Waverly’s lower back, pressing their bodies closer.

“I love you, Nicole Raleigh Haught. You know that right?” Waverly asks tenderly.

“Always,” Nicole kisses Waverly slowly, passionately, letting her fingers sneak under Waverly’s shirt and trail patterns on her bare skin. “I love you too.” 

“BABY GIRL!” Wynonna’s screech startles the girls out of their embrace. 

“Jesus, Wynonna. I thought you were at the homestead?” Nicole shouts. 

“We live in Purgatory, goddammit, you can’t just disappear and not expect me to worry!” Wynnona sighs, relieved and out of breath, collapsing on the bench beside them. 

“Oh, sorry, was I interrupting?” She smirks at Waverly. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first ever Wynonna Earp fanfic! I'm new to the fandom and obsessed. Would love to connect with more of you beautiful Earpers so comment below or follow me on Tumblr (beebomademedoit).
> 
> Expect to see more Wayhaught stories. I'm always open to prompts!


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